The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
Since 1888
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.

The Vanderbilts defeat the Bulldogs of Georgia in basket ball match

Vanderbilt+mens+basketball+upsets+TCU+81-78+on+Saturday%2C+January+27%2C+2018+in+Memorial+Gym.+%28Photo+by+Emily+Goncalves%29
Emily Goncalves
Vanderbilt men’s basketball upsets TCU 81-78 on Saturday, January 27, 2018 in Memorial Gym. (Photo by Emily Goncalves)

On a cold winter’s eve in the month of February, the Vanderbilts defeated young men from University of Georgia at Basket Ball. In fact, they tallied a sensational 81 points, with over eight thousand students and supporters in attendance.

Six score and five years ago, a novel game (denominated “Basket Ball”) first reached collegiate standing. Here in Nashville, scholars of the Vanderbilt University vied the Young Men’s Christian Association, known to man as the Y.M.C.A. Fellow scholars in attendance applauded the Vanderbilts, who prevailed victors by a Herculean tally of nine scores in the circular goal (referred to as a “basket”, thus the name “Basket Ball”) to a mere six. The game has seen great developments since that day; today, the Vanderbilts matched that score nine times over.

A story in the February 8, 1893 edition of the Republican Banner summarizing the Vanderbilt victory the night before (obtained via Bill Traughber)

The very students in congregation in that 1893 match-up had such a remarkably zealous rejoinder that in the year of two thousand and eighteen, the Vanderbilts still compete in the game of Basket Ball with other institutions.

On the present day, the Vanderbilts dueled the University of Georgia to reveal who can gather the largest tally of putting the ball in the opposing basket. This time, in their very own arena, known as the Memorial Gymnasium.

The laws and regulations of Basket Ball have since been revised, the positions have changed, and much to my astonishment, goaltending is no longer a position, but a penalty. I sincerely apologize if I make a hash of the position titles. I am still a scholar of the game.

The following five robust men lined up for the Vanderbilts:

Point Guarder: Saben Lee

Shooter’s Guard: Maxwell Evans

The Smaller Forward: Riley LaChance

The Larger, More Powerful Forward: Jeff Roberson

Centerman: Ejike Obinna

Midway through the performance, a period presently referred to as “Halftime”, the Vanderbilts exhibited their technique in the craft of Basket Ball, leading the exhibition by a running total of 39-31.

In its early stages, the game of Basket Ball drew a close resemblance to the sport of Foot Ball, with only some of the aggression left aside. In the present climate, they receive a free go at the hoop whenever football-esque conduct comes forth. These shots have been given the appropriate title of a “Free Throw”, yet they don’t actually throw it at the basket. At Halftime, the Vanderbilts were awarded eight free throws, and the Georgias were granted seven. Despite the inconsequential margin between the two, the Vanderbilts made all of their eight throws, yet the Georgias only scored four. Perhaps the disparity in the number of throws that went inside the hoop was the true difference at halftime.

As it turns out, the metal circle is now suspended at a breathtaking 3.048 metres in the air. Even more magnificent were Saben Lee and Riley LaChance’s performances for the Vanderbilts; they each registered nineteen scores in the Georgia basket.

The Vanderbilts centerman, Ejike Obinna, exhibited malevolent behavior in the contest. With more than seven minutes lasting until the final whistle, Obinna was miraculously expelled from the game! This stipulation, known as “fouling out”, is a consequence of making five fouls by yourself. Obinna was succeeded by Clevon Brown as the most vertically gifted man on the gymnasium floor, thus granting him more time to play and more opportunities to jam the ball within the confinements of the rim (known as a “dunk”, or if performed emphatically, a “slam dunk”).

Overall, the Vanderbilts should reduce their foul play, as it resulted in nineteen team penalties throughout the game. The Georgias received nineteen free throws at the hoop as a result.

This was the ninth win of this season for the Vanderbilts, and next they travel (by buggy, I assume) to the University of Arkansas in three nights.

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About the Contributors
Simon Gibbs
Simon Gibbs, Former Sports Editor
Simon Gibbs (‘21) is the former Sports Editor for The Vanderbilt Hustler. He has been on staff since the first semester of his freshman year, previously serving as a Staff Writer, Senior Writer and Deputy Sports Editor. Simon is also the host of VU Sports Wired on Vanderbilt Video Productions and The Hustler Sports 30 on VandyRadio. Simon has attended several events as credentialed media, including the 2019 NFL Draft, 2019 College Baseball World Series and the 2019 SEC Tournament. Outside of his Commodore coverage, Simon has had bylines published on NHL.com and NashvillePredators.com. When he's not writing, you can find Simon watching his hometown New York Mets, waiting for that next ring. For tips, comments or concerns, please reach out to: [email protected]    
Emily Goncalves
Emily Goncalves, Former Multimedia Director
Emily Gonçalves (‘20) was the Multimedia Director of the Vanderbilt Hustler. She majored in Mathematics and Economics and minored in Latin American Studies. When she’s not taking photos, you can catch this Jersey girl making puns, singing, advocating for girls’ education and drinking lots of chocolate milk and espresso!
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